Ground cover rose plant named &#39;Poultc021&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new garden rose plant of the Ground Cover class which has abundant, orange flowers and attractive foliage. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Rosa hybrid

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Poultc021’

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of garden rose plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an unnamed seedling, and the male pollen parent, also an unnamed seedling.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2006 and the resulting seeds were planted in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark. The new variety, named ‘Poultc021’, originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new variety may be distinguished from its male pollen parent and female seed parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has medium yellow flowers while the new variety has orange flowers. The male pollen parent has orange red flowers.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety was to create a new and distinct variety for garden use with unique qualities, such as:

1. Uniform and abundant orange flowers;

2. Vigorous, but compact growth when propagated both as a budded rose and on its own roots;

3. Exceptional disease resistance.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously available commercial cultivars of this type, known to the inventor, and distinguish ‘Poultc021’ from all other varieties of which we are aware.

As part of the rose development program, Mogens N. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridization during winter of 2006 and conducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark. ‘Poultc021’ was selected in the spring of 2007 by the inventor as a single plant from the progeny of the aforementioned hybridization.

Asexual reproduction of ‘Poultc021’ by traditional budding and rooted cuttings was first done by Mogens N. Olesen in the nursery in Fredensborg, Denmark in July, 2007. This initial and other subsequent asexual propagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Poultc021’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Poultc021’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are a flowering branch, flower in parts, leaves, and stems. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of ‘Poultc021’, as observed in its growth in in a field nursery in Marion County, Oreg. Observed plants are 2 years of age, and were grown on their own roots. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety ‘Chewmaytime’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,347 are compared to ‘Poultc021’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Poultc021’ ‘Chewmaytime’ Petal Count 20 5 Flower Diameter 45 mm 48 mm Petal color, upper Orange-Red Group N30B Red 43C, becoming surface after splashed with Yellow Group closer to 52D with opening. 9B at the basal zone development.

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Upon opening, 15 mm in length from base of             receptacle to end of bud. Bud diameter is 10 mm. Bud form:             Globose. Bud color: As sepals divide petals are Orange Group             24B with intonations of Orange-Red Group 33B. Sepal inner             surface: Color: Green Group 138B. Surface: Lightly             pubescent. Sepal outer surface: Color: Yellow-Green Group             144B with strong intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183A.             Texture: Smooth. Sepal Shape: Apex: Cirrhose. Base: Flat at             union with receptacle. Sepal Margin: Margins have very weak             foliaceous appendages on three of the five sepals. Sepal             size: 15 mm long, 5 mm wide. Receptacle: Texture: Smooth.             Size: 5 mm in height, 6 mm wide. Color: Yellow-Green Group             144A with strong intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183A.             Shape: Globose. Pedicel: Surface: Smooth. Length: About             25 mm. Diameter: 1 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B with             strong intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183A. Strength:             Strong. Peduncle: Length: 20 to 30 mm. Diameter: 2.5 mm.             Color: Yellow-Green Group 145B with intonations of             Greyed-Purple Group 183D. Texture: Smooth.         -   Flower bud development.—Flower buds are borne in clusters of             3 to 7 flower buds per stem.         -   Flower bloom.—Fragrance: Moderate honey scent. Duration: The             blooms have a duration on the plant of approximately 7 days.             Petals fall cleanly away from plant after flowers have fully             matured. Size: Flower diameter is 45 mm when open. Flower             depth is 15 mm. Flower shape: Single, fully open exposing             flower parts. Shape of flower, side view: The upper portion             is flat. The lower portion is convex.         -   Petalage.—Under normal conditions, flowers have 20 petals             total, 1 or 2 of which are petaloids.         -   General tonality of flower.—Open flowers are Orange-Red             Group N30B.         -   Petal color.—Upper surface: Orange-Red Group N30B splashed             with Yellow Group 9B at the basal zone. Lower surface: Blend             of Orange Group 28D and Orange-Red Group 31A. The basal zone             is splashed with Yellow Group 9B.         -   Petals.—Petal Reflex: Flat. Margin: Entire and uniform.             Moderate undulations. Shape: Generally rounded. Apex shape:             Mucronate. Base shape: Broadly acute. Size: About 20 mm             (1)×20 mm (w). Texture: Smooth. Thickness: Moderate.         -   Petaloids.—Size: 13 mm (1) by 10 mm (w). Shape: Acute apex             with cleft, base is acute. Color: Upper surface: Orange-Red             Group N30B splashed with Yellow Group 9B at the basal zone.             Lower surface: Blend of Orange Group 28D and Orange-Red             Group 31A. The basal zone is splashed with Yellow Group 9B.         -   Reproductive organs: Pollen: None observed. Anthers: Size: 1             mm in length. Color: Greyed-Orange Group 164A. Quantity: 60             on average. Filaments: Color: Yellow-Orange Group 20A.             Length: 4 mm. Pistils: Length: 3 mm. Quantity: 15 on             average. Stigmas: Color: Greyed-Yellow Group 162A. Styles:             Color: Red-Purple Group 59A. Location of stigmas: Level             location relative to the length of the filaments and the             height of the anthers. Hips: None Observed. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant growth.—Upright, bushy. Plants are 30 cm in height,             and 30 cm wide.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile growth: Yellow-Green Group 145A with             intonations of Greyed-Red Group 182B. Mature growth:             Yellow-Green Group 145A. Length: On average, canes are 15 cm             from the base of the plant to the flowering portion.             Diameter: 4 mm. Internodes: On mature canes, there is an             average distance of 15 mm between nodes. Surface Texture:             Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.         -   Long prickles.—Incidence: 10 prickles per 10 cm of stem.             Size: Average length of prickles on mature stems is 6 mm.             Shape: Upper and lower side are linear. Color: Juvenile             prickles: Greyed-Purple Group 183C. Mature prickles:             Greyed-Purple Group 183C.         -   Plant foliage.—Compound leaf: 65 mm (1)×35 (w). Quantity: 4             leaves per 10 cm of stem on average. Leaf bearing angle to             the stem: 45 degrees. Color of juvenile foliage: Upper side:             Yellow-Green Group 146A. Margins are Greyed-Purple Group             183A. Lower side: Yellow-Green Group 146B. Color of mature             foliage: Upper side: Yellow-Green Group 146A. Lower side:             Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Plant leaves and leaflets.—Stipules: Size: 9 mm long, 3 mm             wide. Quantity: 2 per compound leaf. Shape: Linear, slightly             broad based with outward extending apices. Margins: Finely             serrated. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146A. Petiole: Length:             18 mm. Diameter: 1 mm. Upper surface: Color: Greyed-Purple             Group 183A. Lower surface: Color: Yellow-Green Group 146D.             Rachis: Length: 20 mm Upper surface: Color: Greyed-Purple             Group 183A. Lower surface: Color: Yellow-Green Group 146D.             Observations: Small prickles. Leaflet: Quantity: Normal             number of leaflets per leaf in middle of the stem is 5             leaflets. Margins: Serrated. Size: Average size of the             terminal leaflet on normal leaves is 22 mm in length by 11             mm wide. Shape: Generally elliptical. Base: Rounded. Apex:             Acute. Texture: Smooth. Thickness: Average. Arrangement: Odd             pinnate. Venation: Reticulate. Glossiness: Not glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Above average resistance to powdery             mildew Sphaerotheca pannosa, downy mildew Peronospora             sparsa, rust Phragmidium sps., black spot Diplocarpon rosae,             and Botrytis cinerea under normal growing conditions.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Cold             Hardiness Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the Ground Cover rose class named ‘Poultc021’, substantially as illustrated and described herein, due to its abundant orange flowers, disease resistance, and extended period of bloom. 